• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• v.16 no.13
• /
• pp.5261-5264
• /
• 2015

Purpose: To examine the effectiveness of serum free-to-total prostate specific antigen ratio (%fPSA) for the detection of prostate cancer (PCa) in men with different serum total PSA (tPSA) categories. Materials and Methods: From January 2010 to December 2013, a total of 225 patients with lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) underwent tPSA and %fPSA measurements. Histological examination with calculation of Gleason score and whole body bone scans were performed in identified cases of PCa. Results: PCa was diagnosed in 44 (19.6%) patients and the remaining 181 patients had benign prostate disease. PCa was detected in 5 (23.8%), 13 (8.7%) and 26 (47.3%) cases with tPSA level ranges ${\leq}4ng/ml$, 4 to 10 ng/ml and >10 ng/ml, respectively. The average Gleason score was $7.2{\pm}0.2$. Some 6 (13.6%) out of 44 PCa patients had bone metastases. The sensitivity was 80% and specificity was 81.3% at the cut-off %fPSA of 15% in PCa patients with a tPSA level below 4 ng/mL. A lower %fPSA was associated with PCa patients with Gleason score ${\geq}7$ than those with Gleason score ${\leq}6$ ($11.7{\pm}0.98$ vs. $16.5{\pm}2.25%$, P=0.029). No obvious relation of %fPSA to the incidence of bone metastasis was apparent in this study. Conclusions: The clinical application of %fPSA could help to discriminate PCa from benign prostate disease in men with a tPSA concentration below 4 ng/mL.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Marine Environment & Energy
• /
• v.19 no.1
• /
• pp.18-24
• /
• 2016

Mineral carbonation is a technology for permanently storing carbon dioxide by reacting with metal oxides containing calcium and magnesium. In this study, we used sea water and alkaline industrial by-product such as paper sludge ash (PSA) for the storage of carbon dioxide through direct carbonation. We found the optimum conditions of both sea water content (mixing ratio of sea water and PSA) and reaction time required in the direct carbonation through various experiments using sea water and PSA. In addition, we compared the amounts of carbon dioxide storage with the cases when sea water and ultra-pure water were separately used as solvents in the direct carbonation with PSA. The amount of carbon dioxide storage was calculated by using both solid weight increase through the carbonation reaction and the contents of carbonate salts from thermal gravimetric analysis. PSA particle used in this study contained 67.2% of calcium. The optimum sea water content and reaction time in the carbonation reaction using sea water and PSA were 5 mL/g and 2 hours, respectively, under the conditions of 0.05 L/min flow rate of carbon dioxide injected at $25^{\circ}C$ and 1 atm. The amounts of carbon dioxide stored when sea water and ultra-pure water were separately used as solvents in the direct carbonation with PSA were 113 and $101kg\;CO_2/(ton\;PSA)$, respectively. The solid obtained through the carbonation reaction using sea water and PSA was composed of mainly calcium carbonate in the form of calcite and a small amount of magnesium carbonate. The solid obtained by using ultra-pure water, also, was found to be carbonate salt in the form of calcite.

• Research in Plant Disease
• /
• v.28 no.1
• /
• pp.26-31
• /
• 2022

Pseudomonas syringae pv. actinidiae (Psa) is the causal agent responsible for the bacterial canker disease of kiwifruit plants. Psa strains are divided into five different biovars based on genetic and biochemical characteristics. Among them, biovar 2 and 3 strains of Psa were isolated and have been causing widespread damages in Korea. One of the most effective ways to control Psa is to use an antibiotic such as streptomycin. However, Psa strains resistant to this antibiotic were isolated in Korea, and an earlier study revealed that the resistance in the biovar 2 is associated with strA-strB genes. This study aimed to determine the molecular resistance mechanism of Psa biovar 3 strains to streptomycin. Sequencing the rpsL gene encoding ribosomal protein S12 from three streptomycin-resistant strains screened in the laboratory revealed that a spontaneous mutation occurred either at codon 43 or 88. Meanwhile, in four streptomycin-resistant strains of Psa biovar 3 isolated from two kiwifruit orchards, a single nucleotide in codon 43 of the rpsL, which is AAA in streptomycin-sensitive strain, was substituted for AGA causing an amino acid change from lysine to arginine. The resistant mechanism in all biovar 3 strains obtained in Korea was identified as a mutation of the rpsL gene.

• Biomedical Science Letters
• /
• v.3 no.2
• /
• pp.107-114
• /
• 1997

Recent reports indicate that the clinical usefulness of prostate specific antigen (PSA), particulary in the differentiation of benign prostate hyperplasia from prostate cancer, can be improved by measuring the amount of free PSA in serum. Measuring free PSA is especially useful in attempts to improve diagnositc performance of PSA in the diagnostic gray zone of total PSA. The objective of this study was to develop free PSA assay kit using sandwich microplate enzyme immunoassay format. We chose a test format with polyclonal anti-PSA antibodies coated on the wells and monoclonal anti-free PSA antibodies for quantification to gain higher test sensitivity. We adpoted 10 uL of specimen and 2 hours of first incubation time with detecting antibody for free PSA EIA format using microplate. The within-day and between-day precision (%CV) in the high and low concentration ranges were below 4%. The correlation coefficient between in-house free PSA assay and commercial assay kit was r=0.9965 (slope=0.0984, y intercept=0.0173, N=27). No hook effect was found by 40 ng/mL and correlation coefficient (r) value of the fitted linear regression was over 0.995. The recovery tests were in the range of 98.9∼104.1％ for free PSA. In conclusion, in-house free PSA enzyme immune assay is cost effective, simple and rapid and could be useful for the prognosis after theraphy as well as for the differential diagnosis between prostate cancer and benign prostate hyperplasia.

• ALGAE
• /
• v.21 no.2
• /
• pp.175-183
• /
• 2006

Recent phylogenetic studies of scytosiphonacean brown algae show many conflicts with current classification. In order to clearly define the phylogenetic relationships of the family, we newly sequenced the photosystem I coding psaA gene (1488 base pairs) from 13 taxa (15 samples), of the family, and, for comparison, rbcL from four taxa. The psaA region has more informative sites (17.9%) than the rbcL (13.1%) and the number of nodes supported by over 50% bootstrap values is more in the psaA phylogeny (53 /57 nodes; 93%) than in the rbcL (47/63 nodes; 74.6%). The psaA phylogenies are basically congruent with the rbcL trees, recognizing two major groups in the monophyletic Scytosiphonaceae. The first group included Myelophycus, Petalonia, Scytosiphon, and elongate sack-shaped species of Colpomenia, primarily cold temperate elements with unilocular zoidangia on sporophytes. The second group, although not resolved, consisted of Hydroclathrus, Chnoospora, Rosenvingea, and ball-shaped Colpomenia, primarily warm-temperate taxa with both unilocular and plurilocular zoidangia on sporophytes. Chnoospora is not monophyletic, as was previously shown the paraphyly of Colpomenia, Petalonia, and Scytosiphon. Hydroclathrus clathratus from Korea and Japan was not monophyletic. Our studies show that gametophytic characters are the main source of conflict for the present taxonomy of the family. The psaA region is a useful tool for resolution of phylogenetic relationships within the Scytosiphonaceae.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• v.14 no.9
• /
• pp.4973-4976
• /
• 2013

Background: To identify correlation and incidence of bone metastases in prostate cancer patient with low Gleason scores (GS) and prostate specific antigen (PSA) levels. Materials and Methods: This descriptive restrospective study covered patients with prostate cancer in Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital in 2006-2011. Of a total of 478, those who had PSA values, histological examination, and bone scan were included, resulting in 358 eligible cases. PSA values were measured using the sandwich electrochemiluminescent immunoassay. Histological examination was graded according to Gleason's grading system and divided into 3 categories: well differentiated ($GS{\leq}6$), moderately differentiated (GS 7) and poorly differentiated (GS 8-10). Bone scans were performed using a radiopharmaceutical agent ($T_c$ 99m methylenen diphosphonate) with images captured by gamma camera. Results: The mean age was $67.5{\pm}7.8$, mean GS was $7.7{\pm}1.3$ and median PSA was 56.9 (range: 0.48-17000 ng/mL). There were 11 patients (3.0%) with positive bone scan with PSA<20 ng/mL and GS<8. Furthermore, there were 2 patients (0.6%) with $GS{\leq}6$ and PSA<10 ng/mL showing bone metastasis. Conclusions: In our study, there were still small percentage of patients with bone metastasis even when low values of PSA (PSA<10 ng/mL) and GS ($GS{\leq}6$) were applied.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
• /
• v.44 no.5
• /
• pp.453-458
• /
• 2012

A major issue for all nuclear stakeholders is to keep the probability of circumstances that could lead to core damage as low as possible. In addition, for NPP, appropriate accident management provisions are to be implemented to limit the consequences associated with an accident. Development and application of L2 PSA is a structured way to demonstrate that such objectives are achieved. The paper presents the efforts recently done in Europe to harmonize some best-practices in that field, from research area to risk assessment. The Fukushima Daiichi accident reiterated the importance of these activities and the need to efficiently reinforce the NPP safety based on risk assessment conclusions. New perspectives in Europe are briefly presented.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
• /
• v.40 no.4
• /
• pp.412-418
• /
• 2023

Background: The aim of this study was to evaluate the risk factors for prostate-specific antigen (PSA) persistence in pathological stage T3aN0 prostate cancer (PCa) after robot-assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy (RALP). Methods: A retrospective study was performed on 326 patients with pT3aN0 PCa who underwent RALP between March 2020 and February 2022. PSA persistence was defined as nadir PSA of >0.1 ng/mL after RALP, and the risk factors for PSA persistence were evaluated using logistic regression analysis. Results: Among 326 patients, 61 (18.71%) had PSA persistence and 265 (81.29%) had PSA of <0.1 ng/mL after RALP (successful radical prostatectomy [RP] group). In the PSA persistence group, 51 patients (83.61%) received adjuvant treatment. Biochemical recurrence occurred in 27 patients (10.19%) in the successful RP group during the mean follow-up period of 15.22 months. Multivariate analysis showed that the risk factors for PSA persistence were large prostate volume (hazard ratio [HR], 1.017; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.002-1.036; p=0.046), lymphovascular invasion (LVI) (HR, 2.605; 95% CI, 1.022-6.643; p=0.045), and surgical margin involvement (HR, 2.220; 95% CI, 1.110-4.438; p=0.024). Conclusion: Adjuvant treatment may be needed for improved prognosis in patients with pT3aN0 PCa after RALP with a large prostate size, LVI, or surgical margin involvement.

• KSBB Journal
• /
• v.24 no.5
• /
• pp.425-431
• /
• 2009

Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) and its receptor play an important role in the formation and progression of glioma. In this study, I investigated the ability of HGF to recover of the PSA siRNA-suppressed cell proliferation, migration and invasion in U-251-MG cells. PSA siRNA-transfected U-251-MG cells showed the reduction of the proliferation, migration and invasion with compared to control. Treatment of HGF on the PSA siRNA-transfected U-251-MG cells recovered the ability of proliferation, migration and invasion. These data suggest that PSA and HGF may use unique and parallel signaling cascade leading to the proliferative, migrative and invasive phenotype of U-251-MG cells. I also showed that PSA cooperated with HGF to a migrative and invasive phenotype via the increased secretion of matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) and MMP-9.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• v.13 no.11
• /
• pp.5695-5699
• /
• 2012

We investigated the relationships between demographics, lifestyle characteristics, and serum total prostate specific antigen (PSA) concentration and examined the population-based distribution of total PSA by age among 2,246 Korean men with a median age of 45 years. We obtained data about demographic and lifestyle characteristics based on self-reporting using a quetionnaire. We also performed physical examinations, anthropometric measurements, and biochemical measurements. The PSA concentration increased with age and there was a significant difference in total PSA concentration between the age groups of 21-60 years and >60 years. Age >60 years, height ${\geq}1.8$ m, a low frequency of alcohol consumption, and taking nutritional supplements showed a significantly increased odds ratio for increased PSA when 3.0 ng/mL was chosen as the PSA cut-off level. Smoking status, BMI, percent body fat, diabetes mellitus, fatty liver, herbal medicine use, vitamin use, and diet were not significantly associated with total PSA regardless of the cut-off level. When interpreting a single PSA test, height, alcohol consumption, and nutritional supplement use should be considered, in addition to age.